Spring clip



y 1961 J. H. WINDISH 2,985,932

SPRING CLIP Filed April 9, 1959 v ENTOR JOSEPH INDISH M HEM-M ATTORNEY Un ts 1 States Pa n SPRING CLIP im air. windisnsrorn mana St., Enbante, Pa.

Filed Apr. 9, 1959, Ser. No. 805,208

I L 2-. Claims. c1-.24-s1 The. present invention. relates to a spring clip, and more particularly to a spring clip for holding a wire to the-bottom surface of a ledge or shelf. In stringing telephone or electric wires through a building or house, it is often necessary to run the wire along the bottom surface of a ledge, beam, or shelf, and secure the wire to the ledge, beam, or shelf. Heretofore wires have been secured to the bottom surface of a ledge, beam, or shelf by such fasteners as U-shaped nails or staples, if the ledge, beam, or shelf is made of wood, or by straps which are placed across the wire and secured to the ledge, beam, or shelf, or by clamps and the like. However, securing a wire to the bottom surface of a ledge, beam, or shelf by such fasteners is a time consuming operation, particularly if the ledge, beam, or shelf is made of metal. Furthermore, the ledge, beam, or shelf is often in a position in which the bottom surface of the ledge, beam, or shelf is not easily accessible so that such fasteners cannot be used for securing the wire to the ledge, beam, or shelf.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel spring clip.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a spring clip for use in holding a wire to the bottom surface of a ledge or shelf.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a spring clip which is simple to manufacture, and which is easy .to use for securing a wire to the bottom surface of a ledge or shelf.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

For the purpose of illustrating the invention there is shown in the drawings forms which are presently preferred; it being understood, however, that this invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown.

Figure l is a perspective view of one embodiment of the spring clip of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a perspective view showing a wire secured to the bottom surface of a ledge by the spring clip shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the spring clip of the present invention.

Figure 4 is a perspective view showing a wire secured to the bottom surface of a ledge by the spring clip shown in Figure 3.

Referring initially to 'Figure 1, the embodiment of the spring clip of the present invention shown therein is generally designated as 10. Spring clip is made of a single piece of relatively stiff wire.

Spring clip 10 comprises a helically coiled spring 12, anda pair of arms 14 and 16 extending from opposite ends of the spring 12. Arms 14 and 16 extend in the same direction from the spring 12, and are substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the spring 12. Arm 14 has a downwardly extending U-shaped bend 18 therein. The end 20 of arm 14 is bent to extend toward the arm 16 substantially parallel to the spring 2 '12. The end 22 of arm 16 is bentto extend toward the arm 14 substantially parallel to the spring 12.

As shown in Figure 2, spring clip 10 is adapted to hold a wire 24 to the bottom surface of a ledge 26- with the wire 24 extending longitudinally along the ledge 26. Ledge 26 may be a flange extending from a bracket plate 28, or a flange of a beam, or merely a ledge or shelf extending from a wall. The arms 14 and 16 of the spring clip 10 are spread apart and placed across opposite sides of the ledge 26 with the spring 12 extending across the end of the ledge 26. The arm '16 of the spring clip 10 extends across the top surface of the ledge 26, and the arm 14 extends across the bottom surface of the ledge 26. Arm 14 extends across the wire. 24, with the wire fitting in the U-bend 18 in the arm 14. The spring 12. resiliently urges the arms 14 and 16' against the surfaces of the ledge 26 so that. the arms. 14 and 16 resiliently grip the ledge 26 therebetween to hold the spring clip 10 to the ledge 26. Since the arms 14 and 16 of the spring clip 10 resiliently grip the ledge 26 therebetween, the U-bend 18 in arm 14 holds the wire 24 against the bottom surface of the ledge 26. By using a plurality of the spring clips 10 at spaced intervals along the length of the ledge 26, the wire 24 can be secured to the bottom surface of the ledge 26 along the entire length of the ledge 26.

Since the spring clip '10 of the present invention is made of a single length of wire, the spring clip 10 is easy :to manufacture, and therefore inexpensive. Also, the spring clip 10 of the present invention is easy to use since it requires no special tools or skills to secure the spring clip 10 to the ledge 26. Furthermore, the spring clip 10 can be used for securing a wire to the bottom surface of a ledge which is positioned so that the bottom surface of the ledge is relatively inaccessible.

Referring to Figure 3, there is shown another embodiment of the spring clip of the present invention, generally designated as 30. Spring clip 30 like the spring clip 10 is made of a single length of a relatively stiff wire.

Spring clip 30 comprises a helically coiled spring 32, and a pair of arms 34 and 36 extending from opposite ends of the spring 32. Arms 34 and 36 extend in the same direction from the spring 32, and are substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the spring 32. The end 38 of arm 34 is bent to extend toward the arm 36 substantially parallel to the spring 32. The end 40 of arm 36 is bent to extend toward the arm 34 substantially parallel to the spring 32. The end 38 of arm 34 has a downwardly extending U-shaped bend 42 therein.

As shown in Figure 4, the spring clip 30 is used to secure a wire 24 to the bottom surface of a ledge 26 with the wire 24 extending transversely across the ledge 26. The arms 34 and 36 of the spring clip 30' are spread apart and placed across opposite sides of the ledge 26, with the spring 32 being positioned along the end of the ledge 26. Arm 36 of the spring clip 30 extends across the top surface of the ledge 26, and the arm 34 extends across the bottom surface of the ledge 26. The end 38 of arm 34 extends across the wire 24 with the wire fitting in the U-bend 40 in the end 38.

the foregoing specification as indicating the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A spring clip comprising a helical coil spring, and a separate arm extending from each end of said coil spring, said arms extending in the same direction from the spring substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the spring, the end of each of said arms'being bent to extend directly from one arm toward the other arm substantially parallel to said coil spring, the bent end of each arm being adapted to resiliently engage opposed surfaces of a support, one of said arms having a substantially U-shaped bend therein, said U-shaped bend being in the end portion of the one arm which is substantially parallel to said coil spring.

2. A connection comprising a ledge, a wire extending across the bottom surface of said ledge, and a spring clip holding said wire to said ledge, said spring clip including a helical coil spring extending along the front edge of said ledge, and a pair of arms extending from opposite ends of said spring across opposite surfaces of said ledge, one of the arms of said spring clip extending across said wire and having a U-shaped bend therein through which the wire extends, the spring of said clip urging the arms tightly against the surfaces of said ledge so that the wire is held against the ledge, the arms of the spring clip extending substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said coil spring, the end of each of said arms being bent toextend directly from one arm toward the other arm substantially parallel to said spring, the wire extending transversely across said ledge, and the U-shaped bend in the one arm of the spring clip being in the end portion of said one arm which is substantially parallel to said coil spring.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 609,198 Graves Aug. 16, 1898 2,046,781 Head -Iuly, ;7, 1936 2,385,209 Joyce Sept. 18, 1945 2,567,792 Untoria G. Sept. 11, .1951 2,651,826 Carpenter Sept. 15, 1953 

